My Next Lentil Wash - I Want to Get It Right This Time !.

[Still Brewing]

I now have all the stuff needed for my next lentil wash and I'm taking a slightly different approach to last time.

Brewing Water

Last time I added half a campden tablet to remove chlorine. This time I'm just going without, is this advisable.



Water PH

Do I bring the ph down with citric acid to 5.2 before I add ph buffers, lentils, sugar and yeast. My local water is 7.7 average.



PH Buffers Using Citric Acid And Sodium Bicarbonate

50g in weight each added to brewing water.


Any other advice is appreciated.

Cheers

[chill]

I can only tell you what I do. Sometimes, I think we fuss too much. I don't worry about removing chlorine, adding the sugar and lentils should neutralize it. Chloramines are a different story. I do adjust the pH to about 5 before adding the buffer (after adding everything else). I think, but don't know, that you will get a better buffer if you stir the dry ingredients together and let them sit. A chemical change takes place that you can see in the consistency and it will harder over a few days. I make up enough for four washes at a time and store them in ziplock bags (one for each wash).

Chuck

[Still Brewing]

Cheers Chuck

Really looking forward to making this one. My last two haven't been the best, but there again it was the best tasting neutral I have ever tasted.

Going to get loads made over the next couple of weeks as I have a new Essencia filter sitting there doing nothing as I thought it would be better to do it in bulk.

[Easydrinker]

Sorry if my intervention proves to be an interruption,but I felt that I couldn't let this slide by without a response.

+1 with Chill on ignoring the Chlorination of utility water for almost all mashing/wash use.

I use the same tap water to let down anything that I run through my Essencia filter.

Where Chill and I differ is in the use of buffers.
He does,I don't.

My argument would be "why put it in,if it may not be needed?"

But,hey, vive la difference.

I have personally never found a need to add acid to a wash.
I routinely add Sodium Bicarb,on a daily basis,to all and any of my washes, IF a daily litmus test warrants it.

There are many ways to skin an animal,and we have to choose our preference.
As I tap this,the band Imagine Dragons are singing a track entitled "It come's back to you" over my HiFi.
Nuff said.


Robert.

[Still Brewing]

Yeah, I suppose we all do it different ways to get to the same result.

My only reason for trying it this way is because of the time it takes to complete my lentil wash. I have now finished three lentil washes, followed the recipe to the letter, but bugger me it won't go below an sg of about 1004.

Temperature has been spot on throughout, yeast is new but it just won't drop. Taking 20 odd days for a wash to nearly complete even seems slow to me.

I've brewed wine, beer and god knows what else since I were 15. Had problems in the past like we all do but most were sorted through receiving advice, reading books and digitally since the invention of the net.

Never had a problem with fermentation while using the Still Spirits yeast packs but this has really got me stumped. I'm not one to give up easily, maybe its time to try different brands of the ingredients, change the yeast or whatever anybody else can suggest.

[hampk]

I had the same problems with slow lentils. I tried Mashy's Wheat wash for a change - that was even slower. I ran it again with the 50g / 50g buffer and it finished in five days. I've reliably repeated that five times now. Works for me!

Cheers

Hampk

[Easydrinker]

However you go about sorting your problem,I wish you well.
I find that my lentil washes all acidify very quickly and would slow down if not for the addition of Sodium Bicarbonate.
I check Ph with litmus paper daily,and generally add a Tsp per day.
I use aquarium heaters @ around 30°C,with a standard OG of 1.090,and a FG of .990.sometimes lower,in no more than seven days.
HTH

Robert.

[RumJohn]

@ SB: What was you SG prior to pitching your yeast? Your answer maybe there if the SG is somewhat high.

In a perfect wash, there is a SG range. Fermentation will stop when the alcohol level is great enough that it kills off the yeast. If the starting SG is a little high due to too much sugar, the final SG will be higher and unfermented sugars will remain in the wash.

In this case the solution is to cut down on sugar, not add buffers, acid, soda or whatever else you can find to contaminate your wash.

[Still Brewing]

Looking at my notes from the last wash the ph was adjusted to 5.2, the temperature adjusted sg to 20 degrees was 1085 which makes it 11.4 abv based on a drop to 1000.

This sg doesn't look that high to me. What do ya think.

Edit :

Just done another wash with the buffers added. I adjusted the ph of the brew to 5.2 with citric acid before adding the buffer. Wow, thats one to show the kids in the future, foamed up like a good un but settled down quickly. Checked the PH again and it was 5.1, so no real difference there.

The temperature is a little high at 34 degrees C so will let it cool a little before oxygenating the wash and adding the yeasties.

SG of the wash is 1084 at 34 degrees, so temperature adjusted it should come out at 11.4 based on a drop to SG 1000.

Lets hope this one goes off like a rocket !!.

[Icefever]

Fingers crossed then for you.

[Still Brewing]

Cheers Icefever.

Its gone off like a rocket and had about half an inch of foam in the first four hours.

This is looking promising.

[hampk]

Yes good luck with that - my wheat wash did something very similar as for the buffer mix oh yes, it's frothy man.. Showing my age now

[Easydrinker]

This sg doesn't look that high to me. What do ya think.

Not high at all,but I prefer not to go above SG 1.900

Edit :

Just done another wash with the buffers added. I adjusted the ph of the brew to 5.2 with citric acid before adding the buffer. Wow, thats one to show the kids in the future, foamed up like a good un

Apparently "bath bombs" are fun....

Lets hope this one goes off like a rocket !!.

I think you have nailed it.

Robert.

ps.hampk You now have me raking through the grey matter,I know that I recall that ad.but buggered if I can remember what it was for,unless I am well off track it featured a Polar bear...?

[Icefever]

Ask and ye shall find....It's frothy man

[Still Brewing]

Just under two days in now and its down to sg 1050.

This one is fizzing like a good un .